A Thousand Words
by Elaxandrius
Summary: When you separate light from the darkness, what are you left with? Two halves of a whole that's left unbalanced, right?... wrong... you get a chance at a new beginning...
1. What did I do to make you hate me so?

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

We stumbled in a tangled web

Decaying friendship almost dead

And hide behind a mash of lies.

"Yami?"

"What!" was the angry reply.

There was a moment of tense silence as one tried to regain his courage to speak and the other tried to keep his anger in check. "Are you okay because you seem… well, you seem kind of pissed of at something?" Yugi questioned uncertainly, worried that he would get his head bit off for his concern.

"What do you think? Now leave me alone!" Yami barked out roughly as a low growl was heard from deep within his throat.

Yugi felt a cold shiver of loneliness run through him as his yami slammed his soul door tightly with a loud thundering noise. It's been almost a year since the yamis were able to get their own body and it has probably been the worst year yet. Yami had been ignoring him almost all the time and the time that Yugi wasn't being ignored, his yami had given him an attitude. Yugi believed that since Yami had his own body now, he wasn't needed anymore. At the beginning of the change, Yugi had faith that it would get better in time. Boy was he wrong about that.

"What did I do wrong, Yami? What did I do to make you hate me so much? I thought that you cared, but you probably only cared because you needed me." Yugi shook his head almost forcefully. "No! I mustn't think like that. He did care. And he still does care. Right?" Yugi whispered quietly to himself.

He sat by the window and watched the sun set itself upon the horizon. Thoughts of the years before ran through his head as tears gathered in his violet eyes. As a single crystal teardrop made its way from his eyes, Yugi thought about the idea that has been running through his head for quite some time now. He had always pushed it away before, but this time, he couldn't. No matter what, he couldn't because this time, it seemed to be the perfect solution… the only solution.

He quietly made his way up the stairs and into his room before giving it a second thought. Pulling out his duffel bag, along with a suitcase and some hidden cash, he thought about how Ryou and Malik are handling their own yamis. He regretted leaving them behind like this, but he had no other choice. What he was about to do was necessary. They'd understand; they always do.

After emptying out his closet and drawers and managing to stuff them into the two cases, he took one last look around the room, knowing that he may or may not return again. Leaving a letter on his desk with the Millennium Puzzle holding it in place, he whispered 'Goodbye'. With the soft click of the door, he left his old life behind, determined to start a new one. One without his yami in it.


	2. Enough is enough!

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

We twist and turn and we avoid

all hope of salvage now devoid

I see the truth inside your eyes

A pale-looking boy with snow-white hair let out a soft, sad sigh as he stared at the cocoa-filled mug in his hands. His small hands shook as memories of what happened last night came back to him. A shudder of fear, pain, and betrayal overcame him when his thoughts took him to one certain memory of last night. It was probably the worst one that had happened to him by his yami.

Flashback

"Get up, weakling!" Bakura spat angrily at his hikari on the floor. "I said to get up!"

Another kick landed on the already bruised body. Ryou gave out a small groan of pain as he called on his remaining strength to stand on his own two feet. But as he got to his hands and knees, he felt his yami grab the back of his collar and pull him up. As he was straightened, the hand on his shirt moved into his soft hair. A small, hoarse shriek was heard from Ryou as he felt his hair pulled at again… hard.

"Look at me!" Bakura waited until his hikari's eyes locked with his. "I swear to Ra that you are the weakest hikari a yami could ever have. Even that Pharaoh's brat is stronger than you. You were only good for one thing back then. I had to keep you alive because I needed your body. But now that I have my own, I don't really need you anymore. I only keep you around cause it entertains me to see you bleed." Bakura let out a laugh as he paused to watch the tears gather in Ryou's eyes and smirked. He let Ryou go and watched his hikari fall to his knees. "You really are weak." was the last thing spoken as the dark walked away.

Had Ryou lifted his head to look at his yami just once, he would have seen an action that might have made a different, not only in his choice, but in his life as well. But as fate had it, he was never meant to witness the act. Not yet.

End of Flashback

Tears that he had no control over started to fall freely down his smooth cheeks. He made absolutely no movement to stop them nor did he try to will the away. It had always been like this ever since he had the Millennium Ring. But it had seemed to get worse after he got his own body. At least before, when Bakura was still a spirit, he couldn't harm him physically, just mentally. Now, he seemed to be hurt in three ways, if not more: physically, mentally, and emotionally. And it hurts more than anything to be abused that way.

Ryou knew that he was weak physically, but that was because he had never gotten the proper training to make him strong. He was weak mentally and emotionally because of… well, because of Bakura. Ryou never stood up or said anything to his yami because he figured that if beating him made Bakura felt better, then he would endure the sufferings silently. He loved his yami enough to do that. Now only if his yami cared for him enough to notice what he was doing to him.

"But the only difference between me then and now is that I've had enough." Ryou whispered softly into the cup. I may love you, Bakura, but even love, itself, has a limit. And you've apparently reached yours."

Putting the cup gently down on the table, he headed upstairs. As he walked the distance to his room, he thought of the reasons why he should and shouldn't. His choice of option was easy, for the bad covered up almost what little good there was in the time he's known Bakura.

Shoving everything into his bags after cleaning out his closets, he wrote a short note. Removing his Ring from his neck, he carefully placed his letter under it on the bed, making sure it stayed secured. Letting out a heavy sigh and taking a long look around the room, he walked out of his old life and into his new one. The only thing that lingered in the room was his sweet scent and a heart-wrenching goodbye.


	3. Broken beyond mendable

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Time manipulates your heart

Preconceptions torn apart

Begin to doubt my state of mind

Feminine giggling was heard as the sound of locks unlocking and doorknob turning echoed through the silent living room. As the door opened, a blow of the cold night's air carried a strong stench of alcohol into the quiet house. Two pairs of feet was heard shuffling through the room, accompanied by the soft click of the front door closing gently.

A muffled moan was heard as the bodies fell onto the couch in an instant. All you could see was a heap or pale blond hair underneath a head of light brown hair. Within an instant, the position was changed. This time, the female was on the bottom and the male on the top, his elbows holding him up.

"Oh God!" was the moan that erupted from the female's lips as the male's hand worked its was inside her shirt and up her body in a slow tantalizing movement that had her squirming by the time he reached his destination.

"Keep it down, Anzu! I don't wanna wake Malik up!" Marik hissed before letting out a growl as he felt a hand caress him intimately through his pants.

Anzu brought her lips up to Marik's ear and purred her words out softly. "Why, love? You don't want your poor little hikari to wake up and find out who's been satisfying his lover for the past two months? Or is it because you don't want him to know that the only reason why you're sleeping with me is because he's not good enough in bed? Which is it, love?"

Marik raised his head to look her in the eye and opened his mouth to set her straight, but whatever he was about to say died on his lips as Anzu's hands worked its way inside the khakis he wore. He claimed her mouth once again and worked his tongue in tune with her hand that was stroking him.

After a few more moments of kissing and enough moans to last a lifetime, the were both naked and ready. As Marik entered Anzu and pure pleasure took over, none of them saw the hurt look in the eyes of another boy with sandy blond hair that had a striking resemblance to the one on the couch.

End of Flashback

Tears of true pain fell from eyes that held such heartache that could bring the strongest man to tears. These eyes shone many emotions such as betrayal, lost love, hurt, heartbreak, and resignation. A small sigh escaped the full pouty lips as memories came and went in his mind.

Malik sat alone in the confinement of his room. Marik had gone out once again, leaving the young hikari on his own. Malik figured that his yami had no idea on what he was about to do, nor did he question why the mind link was blocked immensely. He hadn't really cared anymore since he got his own body, and it had forced Malik to make his choice.

Taking a shaky breath, he gathered his bag and made sure the letter and his item was safely placed on the bed. Hopefully his yami would be considerate enough to check up on him. Looking around one more time, he pushed back the tears threatening to fall and gathered his strength before walking out of the room. Walking away from that life and into a new one was probably the hardest thing he'd ever have to do.

Malik's steps faltered a bit at the thoughts of Ryou and Yugi. Did he truly want to leave them behind? His defeated sigh was the answer to the question. Wiping away the last remaining drops of tears, he took the final step out of his old life that included Marik and into one that did not.


	4. The letters prt 1

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

So take all this noise into your brain

and send it all back again

_Dear Yami,_

_By the time you read this letter, I'm already gone. Don't try to catch me or find me, not that you'd even notice I'm gone in the first place. Ever since you've gotten your own body, I've been ignored. It's almost as if I'm invisible because I get the feeling that every time you look at me, you only see through me. Our mind link has been blocked for almost five months now and you don't seem to notice. Well, you don't have to notice anymore, because it's going to remain closed._

_Even though I may not want to know the answer, I must ask the question. What did I do to make you hate me this much? I mean, I must've done something really terrible to make you hate me enough to ignore me, right? What exactly happened to us? We used to be so close and you used to be so warm. Now, you're colder than a winter storm and it hurts. It hurts real bad to know that the person you've hidden nothing from suddenly changes to someone you almost fear. I thought I knew you…and maybe, just maybe, I did once. _

_Well, you know what? I'll make it easier for you. You don't have to treat me as if I'm not there anymore. Why? Because I'm leaving. Next time when you look at me to look through me, I won't even be there. It's not like you would even notice, but that's okay. I'll get over it… someday._

_Please remember this, if nothing else. I loved you and I always will, Yami. Always._

_Love you always,_

_Yugi_


	5. The letters prt 2

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

I'll bear the cost, shed my skin, call

you up and then…

I'll say the words out loud.

_My Darkness,_

_After you read this letter, you may think of me as weak. But then again, you've always thought I was weak no matter what I did. Everything I did was never good enough for you, was it? Well, don't worry. Since you said you didn't need me anymore, I figured… why bother staying around. You wanted it, now you've got it. You wanted to lose your hikari ever since I've let you out of the Ring, so I'm doing you the favor. I'm gone._

_I've suffered enough, Bakura. Honestly, have you ever wondered why I go through the abuse, or the 'lessons' according to you, that is given to me without a word? Have you? No, you probably never did. Well, here's the reason. I believed that it made you happy. And I'd do anything to make you happy… even if it meant my own life. Why? Because I loved you. _

_I've always loved you and I often wonder if you've ever loved me. Did you? No, never mind… no point in asking someone who thinks love is weak if they've ever loved anyone, right? Well, let me tell you something, Bakura. Love isn't for the weak, it's for the strong. Love isn't a weak emotion or a distraction… it's strength. It fuels one's determination to make the person they love happy or keep them safe. It's what kept me alive all these years. My love for you made all the sufferings I endured survivable. But how can I make you see that?_

_I forgive you, love. I truly do. I guess I've always forgiven you. But know this, Bakura. Know that even though I love you and always do, it never meant I had to stay to love you. Like I said before, I've had enough. Love, itself, has a limit, and you've apparently reached yours. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but I'm not sorry for meeting you, or knowing you. Whether you know it or not, you taught me how to love. I may regret many things in my life, but getting the Millennium Ring is not one of them. Know that you'll always occupy a big space in my heart, Bakura. Always._

_Love you into eternity,_

_Ryou_


	6. The letters prt 3

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

You could resurrect a thousand

words to deceive me more and more

_Dearest Marik,_

_I give up, my love. I give up. I cant take this anymore. I've forgiven you for the stuff you did in the past, but I don't think I can do it anymore. I really don't think I can this time. Last night you went too far. I mean, what happened to us? We used to be so happy together, or at least I thought we were. I tried to fix things, but none of them seemed to faze you in the least._

_Ever since you've gotten your own body, I've seen you less and less. Whenever I do see you, we barely speak more than two words to each other. I don't know if you've noticed, but we've drifted further and further apart with each passing day. And to be honest, it hurts._

_What occurred last night, well… that broke the final piece of hope that I held onto this long. Time may soothe out my hurt, but forgiveness is out of my grasp this time. How could you do that to me after telling me that you loved me that morning and the days before that? And with her! Those three words coming from you meant the world to me, yet to you, it meant nothing. You say them just to get what you want, and after you get it, it means nothing. Like I said, what you did last night, I will always remember and it will always hurt me every time I think about it in a way that you probably would never understand._

_You don't seem to need or want me around anymore, so why bother staying. I'm leaving. By the time you even read this letter, maybe I'll be so far gone that you won't even have a chance of finding me, if you even cared. I'll always love you, Marik. Through death and into eternity._

_Loving you forever,_

_Malik _

A thousand words will give the

reasons why I don't need you

anymore.


	7. You don't have to make it alone

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Time manipulates your heart

Preconceptions torn apart

Begin to doubt my state of mind

Malik sat at the airport, waiting for his flight to be announced over the intercom. As he waited, thoughts flew by in his mind and made him wonder if all this was worth throwing away. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't realized someone sat down next to him until they talked.

"Malik?" a soft voice brought him back to reality. He looked up, and to his surprise, found himself staring into Yugi's violet orbs.

"Yugi? What are you doing here?"

"Probably for the same reason you and I are here as well, Malik." another voice replied behind him.

Malik and Yugi both turned to the source of the voice and their eyes widened. In front of their sight stood their friend Ryou, looking as sad as the probably did too. He was dressed in dark blue jeans, a black shirt, and a dark blue jean jacket that matched his pants. Like them, he held a small duffel bag and they figured that his suitcases must have been checked in as well.

"So… we're all leaving our yamis behind because we can't handle the treatment we've been getting from them since they got their own bodies. Hmm… who would have thought that leaving behind our old lives to begin a new one would bring the three of us together for this journey…" Ryou said as he saw all the millennium items gone. "Mine was getting out of hand with his temper, what's your stories?"

"Mine's been ignoring me and getting pissed at me for no apparent reason." Yugi mumbled softly.

Ryou nodded and looked at Malik. "Mine slept with Anzu. Apparently has been for the past two months." Malik whispered as he stared at the floor. He heard gasps from his friends before feeling two pair of comforting hands on either side of his shoulders.

"Well, forget them. This is OUR chance to shine, not theirs." Ryou said confidently.

"Yeah. At least we have each other. We don't need them anymore."

'Flight 169 to New York is now boarding. I repeat, Flight 169 to New York is now boarding. Please report to your proper gates immediately.'

"Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let's go!" With that said, they boarded the plane, determination present on their faces.


	8. Pride makes a

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

But I won't go down on what I said

I won't retract convictions read

I may perplex, but I'm not blind

Yami sat in the kitchen, waiting for his hikari to wake up for breakfast. He knew that as a yami, he'd been neglecting his little hikari. But as a friend and a lover, he'd been ignoring him. Although there's no excuse for the way he's been treating his hikari, he was only trying to get used to having a body of his own again. It was just that he took all the frustration out on Yugi.

He had been sitting at the kitchen table since five that morning, watching the sunrise from the horizon. Yami's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked at the clock on the wall. It was ten in the morning and his hikari hasn't woken up yet. 'That's strange.' was the only thing that Yami thought as he watched the seconds tick by.

He tried reaching out to Yugi through their mind link, but all he received in return was a wall of coldness. 'Something's not right.' Yami thought as he got out of his chair and went up the stairs to Yugi's room.

Placing a hand on the knob, he laid his ear to the door and tried to listen for any sound. Again he was met with silence. Almost the same silence he heard through the link of the Puzzle. Yugi was never that quiet, especially not in the morning. As Yami listened for another five minutes, he knew something was terribly out of place.

Even before Yami opened the bedroom door, he knew Yugi wasn't there. He couldn't feel him. He had never realized just how strong of a presence Yugi had until that moment. Almost everything was the same and practically everything was where it should be, yet… its life was… missing. This little paradise that they had both built was beginning to crumble and he could feel himself start to crumble with it.

Yami stood in the middle of the room, trying to grasp a sense of hope that, unfortunately, never came to him. Yugi's suitcases and clothes were half gone and the only thing that was left was a letter, his Puzzle, and his sweet scent. Tears began to pool in Yami's eyes as he sat on the bed. The same bed where they had cuddled against each other so many times.

He gently picked up the Puzzle as was as the letter. Upon reading the letter, the dam of tears broke free. There was no denying it anymore. The one fact that he, himself, had been trying to run from the second he found his hikari gone had finally registered in his brain. The yami had driven the hikari off. He had made the love of his life, Yugi, pack his things and leave. Now what was he suppose to do?


	9. Slave of me

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

But I won't go down on what I said

I won't retract convictions read

I may perplex, but I'm not blind

"What the hell! There's no food on the table? Where the hell is that damn weakling of mine?" With a frustrated groan, Bakura climbed up the stairs, taking two at a time, and stalked towards the other boy's bedroom.

As he walked down the silent hallway towards Ryou's room, thoughts started to fly around in his mind. His steps faltered a bit as he got closer to the door. 'What am I going to do? Beat him so much that he'll be going to school bruised and everything?' His thoughts ended abruptly when he came to stand in front of his hikari's bedroom door.

For the first time in more than a century, Bakura raised his fist and knocked. At first, the knocking began softly, but then it turned much more persistent. When neither the door opened nor did his hikari answer, an annoyed growl erupted from within Bakura's throat. Placing a hand upon the knob, he flung open the door and was, for the first time in a long while, shocked beyond words.

Hard brown eyes quickly scanned the room for any trace of the missing hikari, but he came up empty. The room itself was almost striped bare of clothing and there was no sight of Ryou's presence anywhere. There wasn't even any hint that the hikari had been there, save for the sweet scent that was Ryou alone.

A spark of glittering gold in the sunlight caught his attention. His heart immediately fell when his eyes landed on the object. There, alone, sat the one object that bonded a yami and a hikari together. There, alone, sat the Millennium Ring. The same Ring that had hung on his hikari's neck for years.

As be bent to pick up the item, his eyes caught sight of the piece of paper that accompanied it. Tears threatened to rise as his hikari's motive for leaving became apparent and registered in his mind. Bakura was shocked when water droplets… no, teardrops began to fall upon the paper, smudging the writing.

Staring the letter down, Bakura felt his anger rising. Crumbling the paper in his hand, he furiously flung the sheet across the room. He watched as it bounced off the wall only to lie on the carpeted floor; the way his hikari had done so many times after one of his 'lessons'.

In a fit a of hysteria, he yelled out, "I don't need him! I don't care if he's gone! I don't give a damn about him!" before crumbling onto the floor himself. But as you listen closer, you can clearly make out his whisperings.

"Come back, Ryou. Please come back, love. I need you… I need you…please."


	10. And a victim of you

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

But I won't go down on what I said

I won't retract convictions read

I may perplex, but I'm not blind

"Ugh!" A hand went up to push back the sandy blond hair from their eyes. "Where on earth am I?" As he started to sit up, a tightening of arms around his waist stopped him dead in his tracks. Looking down at the figure in his arms, his eyes shot wide open, the sleep immediately vanishing from them.

"Anzu!" was the harsh whisper that escaped his full lips. Worried eyes hurriedly glance at the clock hanging from the wall across him.

"What, Marik? It's still early." Anzu commented as she raised her head off of Marik's chest.

"You need to get out of here before Malik wakes up."

At the sound of Marik's hikari's name, Anzu sat straight up. With a frown upon her face, she looked at Marik.

"You afraid you're little hikari's going to find out where you've been getting pleasure from since you ain't getting shit at home?" Anzu sneered.

Marik's eyes flashed guilt before they narrowed dangerously in anger.

"Never, and I mean never, talk about Malik like that! What happened last night was a mistake, as well as all the other nights. They never should have happened. Do you understand?" Marik questioned as he stood to get dressed.

As Anzu walked toward the door. She turned to him and said the few wards that truly broke him down.

"But that 'mistake' didn't stop you from coming back every time." With that said, the door closed with a soft click.

Marik sat beck on the plush sofa with a soft thud as his back fell against the sofa itself. Anzu's parting words echoed around his head, each time breaking him even more. 'Didn't stop you from coming back every time.'

"She's right. I didn't stop going back to her. It was a mistake the first time, but I… I… went back every other time after that. Oh, Ra!" Marik whispered brokenly.

Taking a hold of himself, Marik dragged himself up the stairs and towards his hikari's room. Their mind link had been blocked for a very long time and Marik didn't bother trying to open it once. As he reached the door, he knew something wasn't right. The room was quiet… to quiet.

Slamming the wooden door open, he was met with the most heart shattering sight of his entire life. Malik's stuff was missing as was the hikari himself. The only thing that truly broke him apart was the Millennium Rod that laid upon a letter on the bed.

Apologies fell from Marik's full lips as he read the letter.

"Come back, love. I'm sorry. Please. Come back to me… I can't live without you. I need you. I never meant to… hurt you… I'm sorry…Malik…"


	11. How strong of a hold you had on me

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Manipulation. Fabrication.

Conversation. Annihilation.

I'll say a thousand words or more.

'It's been almost two months since we've left our past behind. Two months since we've left them and went our way. Two months since we, the hikaris, left our yamis. Two damn months since light and dark broke apart. Ha! It's been two months and I still find myself thinking about _him_. Such a cruel game for fate to play.' Ryou thought as he sat by the window.

The sound of laughter made him turn his head towards the kitchen. A small smile graced his lips as his mind wandered back to a couple of weeks ago. The three of them started this trip to an unknown place together, and they stuck together through the events that they each faced.

"Hey, Ryou. Dinner's ready." Yugi said as he stuck his tri-colored head through the doorway and smiled.

The smile on Ryou's lips grew as he stood up. He'd been sick for the past week and a half and Yugi and Malik had banned him from the kitchen since. Although the two were great cooks, Ryou knew that he still had them beat when it came down to cooking. It was a second nature to him considering the fact that he had been cooking for himself at a young age. With his father's leaving for duty all the time, he had to learn or starve.

"I'm coming, Yugi. I'm coming. I just hope that you and Malik didn't break our kitchen apart." Ryou wasn't surprised to see the kitchen in a mess, but the dinner on the table was what stole him breath away.

"Oh my…" the words trailed off as he stared in awe at the food on the table. They had made a complete replica of his special dish. But what had caught him off guard was the cake in the middle of the table.

"Happy birthday, Ryou." Malik and Yugi whispered as they stood next to him.

Turning around to face them, tears threatened to fall. They remembered even though he, himself, had forgotten. A laugh-filled sob erupted from his lips as he hugged them both.

"Thank you." Was all the words that he needed to say for the others knew exactly what he was thanking them for.

That Night

Ryou laid in his bed staring out the window into the starlit sky. His mind and thoughts took him back to a place his dreams haunted. It took him back to a place where he had left behind all this time. He wondered what his counterpart was doing at that moment.

As sleep came over him, a small statement was whispered as it had been whispered every other night before. A sentence that proved just how strong of a hold the dark still had on him.

"I love you, Kura…"


	12. Epilogue

Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Manipulation. Fabrication.

Conversation. Annihilation.

I'll say a thousand words or more.

"He's not happy." Yugi whispered to Malik as they watched Ryou fall asleep in his room. They've been standing by the doorway, watching their friend cry himself to sleep silently, keeping everything to himself. He never knew that it had become a routine for them to stand by his door and watch him suffer alone. They knew… they understood all that he was going through, because they, too, were going through the same thing as he was.

"He misses him, Yugi. His last statement proves just how much he loves Bakura and just how strong that love was… _is_ rooted. It's hard for him to let go of the past… just like it is for us." Malik whispered back gently, his eyes reflecting the sadness he felt for his white-haired friend.

"I know, Malik. Believe me, I know. I miss my half as well, but I figured that if anyone would be the first to forget about their other half, it would have been Ryou. I mean, with everything that Bakura's put him through and how much he's suffered…" Yugi trailed off.

"I know what you mean, Yugi. But I can also see where Ryou's coming from. He loved Bakura more than Bakura, himself, realized. Even though he was abused by his yami, his love for him was even stronger. Don't you ever wonder why he stood by Bakura's side even after all the pain he's been put through? Why Ryou didn't just pack his bag in the past and leave?" Malik paused and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the wooden frame.

Yugi looked at him before turning his eyes back to the figure asleep on the bed sadly. "He loved him."

Malik nodded softly.

"His love was way stronger than his fear of Bakura. And a love that strong is never that easily dropped or forgotten. I miss Marik even after what he did and I still love him. The only thing is that with Ryou and Bakura… Ryou's love for his dark runs deeper than any of us can ever imagine." Malik whispered sadly. "And sometimes…" Yugi watched him, waiting for him to finish. "Sometimes, that can be the most deadliest and dangerous depth of emotion to have." Malik finished as he opened his eyes again to look at Yugi.

"You're right. Ryou is the type of person to love Bakura that deeply. Deeper than anyone can love someone." Yugi stopped to think something over. Keeping his eyes on Ryou's sleeping form, he continued, his voice lowering. "I just wish he wouldn't hold it all in. I mean, I miss Yami as well, but the both of you know it. It's not healthy for him to keep it all in."

Malik sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't get him to open up to us if he doesn't want to. We'll have to wait and pray that he'll talk to us. Until then… we leave it alone. Sometimes I wonder how things would be like if it turned out differently. Would we all be with our other half?"

Yugi nodded. "I find myself thinking that often." Glancing at the sleeping figure one more time, he turned towards his own room. "Go to bed, Malik… we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Hmmm…" was the only reply as they went to their rooms, neither hearing the little comment said.

"If this path didn't happen now… it would've happened sometimes in the future. I'm sorry… I never meant to keep you guys out. You're all I have left."

_ Well, there you have it. A Thousand Words is officially finished. I apologize if you guys don't like the ending. I'll admit… it isn't the great… but it leads up to the sequel so I gotta leave it like this. Hope you enjoyed your read with A Thousand Words and hope you'll come back for the sequel when it arrives. Take care… and till next time. And the song A Thousand Words is by Savage Garden._


End file.
